Brake-beam.



1. M; ROHLFING.

BRAKE BEAM.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE24, 1911.

Patented May 25, 1915.

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ATTORNEY \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\&

WITNESSES:

THE NORRIS PETERS CO4, PHOTO-LITHQ. WASHINGTON. D. C.

50 1 I member comprisesa member with itsop'po- UNITE STATES PATENTv I FFICE.

JOHN M. ROHLFING, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN CAR AND FOUNDRY COMPANY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

BRAKE-BEAM.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOHN M. ROHLFING, residing at St. Louis, Missouri, and being a citizen of th United States, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Brake-Beams, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and to use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,.which illustrate the preferred form of the invention, though it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the exact details of construction shown and described, as it is obvious that various modifications thereof will occur to persons skilled in the art.

In said drawings: Figure 1 is a plan view of a brake beam embodying the features of the invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged end view. Fig 3 is a transverse horizontal section taken on a plane of the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 1 is a detailed view of the thrust block employed for connecting the ends of the opposite stress members of the brake beam.

Fig. 5 is a detail view of a portion of the brake head. Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail view of the strut employed between the intermediate portions of the stress members, and Fig. 7 is a vertical transverse section taken on the plane of line 7-7, of Fig. 6.

The object of this invention is to provide a brake beam so constructed that the con nection of its stress members with the brake heads will not be detrimentally affected by the slight, though almost continuous, movement of the ends of the stress members,relative to each other in use.

A further object is to provide a connecting means between the stress members and the brake heads which may be easily repaired when damaged.

Referring to the drawmgs by numerals 1, indicates the compression member, and 2 the tension member of the beam. The compression member may be straight throughout its length, but is preferably slightly bowed, and comprises a channel section arranged with its web standing vertical, and its flangesturned inwardly. The tension Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 25, 1915.

Application filed June 24, 1911. Serial No. 635,218.

site ends disposed adjacent the opposite ends of the compression member and with its central portion spaced away from the compression member.

In order that the strut between the stress members may be reversible and interchangeable it comprises a casting 3, formed with its ends identical, and each comprising a yoke 4. The yoke 41, at one end straddles the tension member 2, and is thereby held from displacement on said tension member. The legs of the yoke at the opposite end fit snugly between the flanges of the compression member. To prevent movement of the strut 3, longitudinally of the compression member a strap 5 is fitted about said member and has its opposite ends bent toward each other as at 6, and engaging behind shoulders 77, formed upon upper and lower sides of the strut 3. The strap 5 is riveted to the web of the compression member as at 8, and the hollow of the yoke 4, at this end of the strut,'is adapted to receive the head of said rivet or rivets. The opposite ends of the strap 5 are fixed rigidly to the end of the strut by binding members 99, fitted over the outer surfaces of the ends of said strap and bent to fit against opposite sides of the strut, as at 1010, being secured by bolts 11-11, extending through the bent portions of said members 9, and through the strut. The extreme ends of each of the members 9 are bent outwardly as at 1212, and serve to lock the nuts of the bolts 1l11. The intermediate portion of the strut 3 is formed with the usual diagonally disposed bearing pocket 13, for

the brake lever, not illustrated. With this construction, it will be apparent that castings from the same pattern may be used with either of its ends fixed to the compression member thus disposing the diagonal pocket 13 to rightor left according as one or the other end is fixed to said member.

allel portion is extended through a tubular body portion15 of a cast thrust block, 16. The outer end of the body portion 15 is provided with a hook-shaped lateral extension 17 adapted to extend across the end of the compression member andengage the outer portion of the web thereof, as at 18, for preventing possible disconnection of the ends of the stress members. of the tension member is threaded and fitted with a suitable nut 19, anda nut-locking member 20 is positioned between the end of the thrust block 15, and the under-surface of the nut 19, and is bent at one end, as at 21, to-embrace a flat surface of thenut, and at itsopposite end to embrace the angular portion of the hook-shaped member 17 as at 22.

Thebrake head 28is formed. with a transverse aperture 23 adapted to receive the body 'portion15, of the thrust block. A portion. 24 of; said brake head, forming one of the. wallsofthe aperture 23*, is. disposed between. the body portion 15,. of the thrust block. and the inner surface of the web of the compression. member, the. brake head thus resting partly. within the channel compression. member, though partsof the brake head extendbeyond the flanges of said chart nel. The brake headris also formed with depressions. 25-25, adapted to receive the flanges of the compression member, which extend upon opposite sides of the'wall of aperture. 23 The inner end of the body portion 15,. ofthe thrust block is formed with a laterally projecting lip 26-, adapted to extendover the adjacent-portion of'theedge of the wall 24.

In, assembling, the. parts, the body portion ofthe thrust block is first inserted in the aperture 23 ofthe brake head and brought topositionwith the lip 26 engaging the inner edge, of thewall 24, whereupon the two members are slipped over the ends of the compressionand tension members, thecompression member entering betweenthe outer surface of the wall 24 andthe inside face of the hook-shaped extension 17. The=end of the. tension member. enters the. aperture-in the body portion, of the thrust. block. A-pplicationi of the nuts 19, at opposite ends of the-beam retain all of the parts in, their proper relative positions. 7

It will be noted. that though the structure is'extremely' simple the parts are. held firmly together, and. at the same time the brake head is. permitted a. slight movement relative to the stress members,,without-; affecting the connections between itself and said members. IjILCElSG of wear, breakage,.etc;., any of the members? comprising the beam may be easily removedwithout necessitating renewal of any part. undamaged.

A further. advantage gainedby the construction described, resides in that tighten- The extreme end ing of the nuts 19, will produce a cambering of the beam sufficient to accommodate the face of the brake shoe, carried by the brake head, tothe tread of the car wheel in connection with which the beam is to be employed.

What I claim. is

- 1. A brake beam comprising a compressionrmember and a tension member, a thrust block carried by one of said members and engaging: an end and a side of the otherof said members, and a brake head retained by said thrust block, partly within. said compression member.

2. A brake beam comprising a compression member and a tension member, athrust block. carried-by one of said members and engagingv an endand. a side of the other of said members, and a brake head formed with an apertureadapted to receive said. thrust block, said compression member extending parallel with and at, the outer side; of said brake head. i

3'. A- brake beam comprising a compres sion member and a tension member, a thrust block between. said members, and. a brake head independent. of said thrust block extending between the thrust block and the compression'memberand' being formed with an aperture to receive the thrust block, said thrust blockhaving a hooked extension adapted to receive'an endportion of'the compression member.

4. A brake beam comprising a compression member and a, tension member, a thrust block, comprising a sleeve adapted to receive an end portion of' one of said members, and a brake head retained on said sleeve,partly within the compression member. w

5. A: brake beam comprising a compression member and a tension member, a thrust block comprising asleeve adaptedto receive an end portion of one ofsai'd members, and a brakehead-retained between said sleeve and the other of said members.

6. A- brake beam comprising a-compressionmember and a-tension member, a thrust block. adapted to receive an end'porti'on of one. of said members and being formed with a sleeveadapted toreceive an end portion of the other of said members, and a brake head having a, portion extending between the compr ssion and te sion members... i

7 A. brake beam comprising; a compression member and a tension member, a,thrust blookadapted to. receive an endportion of one. of said members and being formed with a. sleeve. adapted to, receive an end portion ofthe other. ofv said, members, a, brake head, extendingbetweenthe compression and tension member,, and means formed on said s ee f r etainings id mk h adin .p sition,

8 .A br k am mpri g. a channel compression member and a tenslon member,

a thrust block carried by said tension member partly within the channel ofsaid compression member, and a brake head having a portion disposed between said block and compression member.

9. A brake beam comprising a channel compression member and a tension member, a thrust block and a brake head retained between said thrust block and said compression member.

10. A brake beam comprising a channel compression member and a tension member, a thrust block carried by said tension member, and a brake head, said brake head being formed with a recess adapted to receive said compression member and with an aperture adapted to receive said thrust block.

11. A brake beam comprising a compression chamber and a tension member, a perforated thrust block receiving the tension member and a brake head retained in position between said thrust block and said compression member.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN M. ROHLFING.

Witnesses:

OSCAR HooHBERc, PAUL M. BEARD.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0. 

